National Organization of Short Statured Adults

  The National Organization of Short Statured Adults (NOSSA) is a non-profit advocacy group for adults of short stature. The organization defines "short stature" to be men under 5'7" and women under 5'2" in height. The group advocates on behalf of short people and hopes to foster greater acceptance of short people within society. NOSSA is opposed to the prejudice known as heightism. The group defines heightism as, "a prejudiced attitude about human height that often results in discrimination. It is based on the belief that short statured people are inferior and undesirable."^[1] The organization runs a series of public education programs, sponsors height-related research, acts as a media "watch-dog" group, provides legal assistance for those affected by heightism, hosts online discussion groups, and invites members to gather once a year for an annual convention.

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History

NOSSA was formed in New York in 2005 by four active members of the Short Support Website[2]. The organization is run by a four person Board of Directors (Trustees) who are elected to serve four year terms in office. The group got off to rocky start when in May of 2006, founding member and Secretary Joe Mangano made an inappropriate comment to an Associated Press reporter, commenting on a court trial in Nebraska in which Richard W. Thompson, a short man, was sentenced on two counts of sexually assaulting a minor.^[2] In reporting on the trial, the Associated Press quoted Mangano as saying, "It’s good to see someone looking out for a short person" in reference to trial Judge Kristine Cecava's concern for Thompson's safety in a prison environment. Thompson was sentenced to serve 10 years probation by Judge Cecava. The organization released an immediate statement to respond to these comments. As a result, Joe Mangano is no longer a Trustee of the organization, the organization has apologized for any harm that may have resulted, and a donation to the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation was made.^[3] Joe Mangano was immediately replaced by Short Support Editor, Steven Goldsmith. In July of 2006, NOSSA began producing a podcast called, Standing Tall Against Discrimination.

HGH controversy

In 2003, The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of human growth hormone (hGH) for children well below the average height with no medically determined cause, also known as idiopathic short stature. GH therapy had been prescribed previously for only medically determined causes of reduced height. Most patients to which this therapy was now made available produce normal levels of growth hormone on their own. Some other biological cause(s) still place these children more than 2 standard deviations below average height.

NOSSA announced its opposition to the use of human growth hormone for short, but otherwise healthy, children. The organization believes being short isn’t a problem; the real difficulties lies in the social bias against short people. In part to define the organization's position on the matter, NOSSA representative and author Ellen Frankel LCSW stated, "What we need is education for those who discriminate against short people, not the genetic engineering of the victims of that prejudice."^[4] Frankel states, "The growth hormone deficient child suffers from an underlying medical problem that affects the body's health in different ways. The non-growth-hormone-deficient child has no underlying medical problem. They simply present as a variation on the norm with regard to height. The decision to medically intervene on the healthy child's stature is socially based due to height discrimination and prejudice."^[5]

Cosmetic leg lengthening

Leg lengthening is a complex process that has traditionally been performed primarily on children to correct disproportional leg lengths. It has also been an option for people with dwarfism to gain height. More recently, the procedure has been used to give people with constitutional short stature two or three extra inches of height. (Constitutional short stature refers to people who are in the bottom fifth percentile of height in their region and do not display any deformities common with dwarfism.)

NOSSA claims to receive hundreds of e-mails each year from people requesting more information on cosmetic leg lengthening. The group actively discourages short statured people from undergoing leg lengthening solely for cosmetic reasons. The group encourages anyone who is seriously considering the surgery to research the procedure and surgeon thoroughly before undergoing the procedure. NOSSA encourages people to accept and love themselves as they are.^[6]

Princeton economist study

In August 2006, a study by Princeton University economists Anne Case and Christina Paxson, "Stature and Status: Height, Ability, and Labor Market Outcomes"^[7] concluded that tall people are smarter than their height-challenged peers. The researchers report, "On average, taller people earn more because they are smarter. As early as age 3 — before schooling has had a chance to play a role — and throughout childhood, taller children perform significantly better on cognitive tests. The correlation between height in childhood and adulthood is approximately 0.7 for both men and women, so that tall children are much more likely to become tall adults. As adults, taller individuals are more likely to select into higher paying occupations that require more advanced verbal and numerical skills and greater intelligence, for which they earn handsome returns."^[7]

NOSSA Secretary Steven Goldsmith responded to the study by stating, "If a similar study made similar conclusions about any other minority group, there would be fierce outrage from those groups and sympathy from many who are not in those groups."^[8] NOSSA Advisor Ellen Frankel LCSW continued, "We understand racism. It's time we take a serious look at heightism."^[8]

In reporting on the study, the media simplified the connection that the economists had drawn between height and intelligence. Paxson and Case theorize a person genetically programmed to be 6'4" who reaches only 6'2" because of poor nutrition is not necessarily smarter than someone who with optimal nutrition has reached his full height potential of 5'4".^[9]

eHarmony boycott

On April 2, 2007, NOSSA called for a boycott of the online dating website eHarmony. Their press release cited:

"Suspicions have been confirmed after numerous tests indicated that the exact same responses to the website’s membership questionnaire, with the exception of physical height, resulted in either approval of membership (when an acceptable tall height was submitted) or denial of membership (when a short height was submitted). These tests were conducted numerous times to ensure accuracy. The National Organization Of Short Statured Adults has requested a full explanation from the company. On June 1, 2007, NOSSA received a response from eHarmony in which the company denied that it had ever discriminated against short statured people."^[10]

Legal programs

NOSSA provides legal assistance for members who present valid claims of height discrimination in employment, housing and other real estate, public accommodations, public service, and educational facilities.^[11] There is one U.S. state, Michigan, that prohibits height discrimination.^[12] There is pending legislation introduced by Massachusetts Representative Byron Rushing that would add Massachusetts to the list.^[13]

Two U.S. municipalities prohibit height discrimination: Santa Cruz, California^[14] and San Francisco, California.^[15] The District Of Columbia prohibits discrimination based on personal appearance.^[16]

Ontario, Canada prohibits height discrimination under the human rights code.^[17] Victoria, Australia prohibits discrimination based on physical features under the Equal Opportunity Act of 1995.^[18]

Although NOSSA is not directly involved in any lobbying activities, the group supports height discrimination legislation. NOSSA also provides legal assistance to members who present valid claims of fraud perpetuated by various growth-product manufacturers.^[19]

Children & Young Adult Programs

Bullying involves the tormenting of others through verbal harassment, physical assault, or other more subtle methods of coercion such as manipulation. Smaller children and young adults are often perceived as being physically weaker and vulnerable. Because of this, short kids are frequently targeted by bullies. NOSSA provides support services for short statured kids and their families who are experiencing a bullying problem.^[20] NOSSA also offers a college scholarship award each year to a young short statured person.^[21]

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